Cast Iron

Heavenly Spring Time Three-Cheese Mac and Cheese

May 11, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I love to cook and my wife is a cheese head and loves Mac and Cheese, so I am always looking for and coming up with new ways to prepare it for her. This is one of her favorite because of the combination of the different cheeses, sour cream, and egg makes it creamy but rich! —bnorwood09

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Ingredients
  • 1.5 pounds Penne or Other Spiral Pasta
  • 3 cups Heavy Cream
  • .5-1 bunches asparagus
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Red Onion
  • 3 pieces Garlic chopped
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 10 ounces Goat Cheese or Munster Cheese shredded 1.5 cups
  • 6 ounces Sharp Cheddar or Sharp White Cheddar shredded 1.5 cups
  • 10 ounces Munster or Goat Cheese
  • 1 cup Packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/3 cup Sour Cream, or light Sour Cream (not Far Free)
  • 1 tablespoon Chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil
  • 3 Large Egg Yolks
  • Salt and Fresh black pepper to tast
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Also butter or coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
  2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water just untill al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
  3. In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer with the onion and garlic and asparagus.
  4. Take 1 cup of the cream to a bowl and whisk in the flour; return the mixture to the saucepan. Whisk over moderate heat until thickened, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat
  5. Stir in the goat/munster cheese, cheddar and half of the Parmigiano until melted. Slowly incorporate the sour cream, parsley, thyme and salt and pepper.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of the sauce with the egg yolks, then stir the mixture into the saucepan.
  7. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to incorporate. Pour/Spread the pasta in the cast-iron skillet and top with the remaining Parmigiano. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the Mac and Cheese is bubbling and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.

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1 Review

cakillgore January 23, 2014
I just made your wonderful dish. Today is my husband's birthday and he got food poisoning last night and said he did not anything but comfort food - and said mac and cheese. I love this website and by far, your recipe sounded best. I ran to the grocers, bought everything and forgot asparagus, but alas I had fresh spinach which I substituted. I used the Goat Cheese in lieu of Munster, and the Extra Sharp Cheddar in addition to Parmesan. It was fun following all the steps, but I admit I surely made a mess. We used the tri-color cork screw pasta per his request. The end result, well - if heaven is like Mac and Cheese, I'm there! Thank you so much. FYI comment on written recipe. In the list of ingredients, you duplicated the line of 10 ounces Goat Cheese.....and I did not see where to add basil, you listed in the ingredients but not listed in directions. I assumed when I added the other herbs, I added this. I'm a stickler for typos...so the word "fat free" says Far Free for the sour cream in the list of ingredients. Who really cares, this dish could cure many ailments. It's a keeper!!!